Sleepless Beauty
by digi -n- tomi
Summary: Konoha is a very conservative town. Sasuke is sick of doing the same thing everyday and the annoying girls that follow him everywhere. He wants a change and a change is the least of what he gets when a strange, new shop called "Hitsuzen" opens. SasuNaru.
1. Sudden Disruption

_Disclaimer: Naruto and Co. belong to their respective parties, not limited to Kishimoto Masashi, and Shueisha Inc. _

_Warnings:** Slash. AU (which means most of the characters are going to be meeting each other for the first time ever.). Also, I'm taking the characters and making them into my own little monsters. Thus, if they're slightly OOC, forgive me... ;;**_

_Rating for the Chapter: PG-13_

_Dedication: To all the Naruto fans—'cause you gotta to be a Naruto fan before you can become a SasuNaru fan (and then some). Also, much thanks to _**_purrfectly976_**_for pointing out something that I missed! Go read her fic, people!___

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Sleepless Beauty

By tomomi

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Part I: Sudden Disruption

The town of Konoha was a conservative town, so used to their ways that it seemed to be ingrained in them. The people were conventional, sticking to their traditional ways as an object would stick to glue. The buildings were simple and dull, patterned so that not one outshined the other, not one stood out from its neighbors. Nothing in that town should stand out because that was the way things were.

And that was the way things always had been.

And Sasuke hated it; he had learned to do so from a very young age.

And he continued to hate it as he grew up and it continued to be the way it was.

And it would have stayed that way if not for one thing: Hitsuzen.

-----

For such an unusual and seemingly strange house, Sasuke almost did not notice it. He didn't think he would have noticed it if not for the angry voices coming from within the odd house, or rather shop, as the sign on the fence indicated.

A shop called Hitsuzen. _We'll grant your every wish—impossible as it may seem,_ was the gold inscription under the name.

Sasuke smirked. Any wish, huh? He traced the inscription with his finger.

_Well, what if my wish was to change this town—make it more exciting? _

Suddenly, he had an overwhelming urge to walk in the store. His legs started to move on their own, one step after the other. Before he realized it, he was in front of the entrance. He blinked. _The hell? _

The arguing inside grew louder. There was a yell of "Kakashiyou idiot!" and the double-doors of the entrance swung open. A boy dashed out and slammed right into him, the impact of the clash knocking him onto the ground.

Sasuke winced and groaned inwardly. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at wide, blue eyes. Sasuke felt like he was staring into an ocean. The cerulean eyes were planted on a peachy face, accompanied by a delicate nose and full lips. The boy's face was framed by strands of golden hair that stuck up in odd places. He also had strange markings on his cheeks that strongly reminded Sasuke of whiskers.

The boy blinked at him. "Oh..."

Sasuke stared at the boy. The boy looked to be slightly younger than him and most definitely shorter, but despite that fact, it didn't make him any less heavy.

He shifted slightly and glared. "Get off. You're heavy..."

The fair hair boy flushed and scrambled off him. "Sorry. But no harm done, right?" he grinned ruefully and held out his hand.

After a moment's hesitation, Sasuke took the offered hand. Once he was standing, he brushed himself off. Up close Sasuke noticed that the shop was rather eloquent in its designs, fine to the very last mark. Hitsuzen had a Chinese architectural style to it. It stood out very much next to the other plain, old buildings.

Sasuke turned his eyes on the blond boy, who was indeed about a head shorter than him, not to mention younger. The boy was dressed in a Chinese outfit with spiral markings on it. Currently, the boy was looking at him with interest, blue eyes wide with curiosity.

Noticing Sasuke's eyes on him, he grinned cheekily. "That was a rather rough start, huh?" He held out his hand once again, this time to shake. "Let's start again. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, age 14."

Sasuke reluctantly took the offered hand; it felt very warm and soft inside his own. "Uchiha Sasuke, 16."

"Uchiha, huh?" Naruto tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "Hey, Uchiha Sasuke-_kun_ is from an old family line—a clan, right? Your family symbol is a round fan, right?"

Sasuke blinked, taken aback. How did this kid know all this? "How did you...?"

"Just a feeling." The shorter boy shrugged. "Hey, Uchiha-_kun,_ you didn't answer my questions. Was I right?"

Sasuke nodded hesitantly. "Yeah..."

Naruto suddenly burst out laughing. "I knew it! The Uchiha's family symbol is an _uchiwa_!"

Sasuke stared at the blond boy. Never, in all his life, had he been so taken aback. Never in all his life had he touched someone as much as he had touched this strange boy. He had also never spoken that much in such a short period of time; a two-to-three word sentence from him should satisfy anyone for a full day. Yet, here he was...

Never had he been so affected by someone.

"So Uchiwa-_kun_," the boy teased, "came to make a wish, did you?"

Sasuke's cheeks tinted pink. "N-no." Why was he stuttering? Why was he blushing? "I just read the sign and somehow... ended up here." he finished with a frown.

"Did you touch the sign?"

Sasuke gave a slight nod.

"No wonder. But it doesn't matter. It's _hitsuzen_. That means you gotta come in now, Uchiwa-_kun_." Naruto grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. Sasuke was too shocked to put up much resistance. In the back of his head, he noted that Naruto's hand was as warm as ever.

Naruto dragged him down the hall—somehow the entrance doors closed by themselves—and around corners. This place was like a maze. From outside, the shop had seemed small, but on the inside, it gave the appearance of being extremely large. Finally, they stopped in front of two shoji doors.

Naruto touched the shoji doors, but didn't open them, and Sasuke heard him heave a deep sigh of something akin to resignation. Abruptly, Naruto whirled around and gave him a slightly strained smile.

"Here you are. Just touch the doors and it'll slide open for you. Oh, and if you're expecting something mystical and whatnot, don't hold your breath." Naruto warned. Then he relented, "But don't judge him by his looks or his actions. He's more than he seems." Naruto moved behind him and pushed him forward. "But then again, we all are here at Hitsuzen."

Sasuke turned to question him about his last statement, but found he was alone in the hallway. Where had Naruto disappeared off to? And more importantly, _Who was 'he'?_

Sasuke contemplated his situation. He had no idea where he was. This place was too much of a maze. He was certain he would wind up lost if he even tried to find the way out on his own. The only option was to go speak to whoever 'he' was. Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke placed his hands on the surface of the shoji doors. Just as Naruto said, the doors slid open by themselves, revealing just about the strangest room he had ever seen.

Cloths made of silk hung from the ceiling, arching around the room. The fabric resembled organdies, set in various soft colors. All four walls had delicately painted leaf patterns linked with thin vines. Pots of orchids and plush pillows were positioned here and there. In the middle of the large room was a great water fountain. Next to it stood a couch and like the pillows, it was plush; the man who lay on the couch looked comfortable enough.

Unsure of what to do, Sasuke just stood there staring at the man. He was a rather young man, in his mid-twenties or so, with gray hair that flopped to one side and a scar that crossed his left eye. He lay there reading, looking as if nothing else in the world mattered to him. Everything in his posture gave him the appearance of being very lazy.

Before Sasuke could call his attention, the man spoke: "So Uchiha Sasuke..." He didn't even look away from his book. "I've been wondering when I would meet you." The man spoke in a bored tone.

Sasuke glared at the man suspiciously. How did he know his name?

"Meet me?" he questioned sharply. "How do you know who I am? Who are you?" he demanded.

Kakashi looked up from his reading and smiled. "I am Hatake Kakashi. I know who you are because I knew we were to meet. It's all due to _hitsuzen_, of course."

Sasuke gazed at him through dark, narrowed eyes. "_Hitsuzen_? When you say that you mean fate or destiny... right?"

"Something like that. To put it simply, _hitsuzen_ is just something that you can't escape." Kakashi placed his book down. "Now, now, young Uchiha. You are here because there is something you desire. Tell me."

Sasuke glared at the gray hair man. "No. I have no wishes." he stated firmly, lowly. "I don't want anything from you."

"From me?" Kakashi questioned lightly. "No, I'm afraid you've misunderstood me, Uchiha Sasuke. Not from me. Nothing from me..."

Kakashi stood and walked over to him. As he walked, time seemed to slow. Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed much thicker and Sasuke could not make himself look away from Kakashi, who kept his eyes firmly on Sasuke's own.

"What you wish for and what I have to give you are two entirely different things," he stated as he walked. "Are you sure you don't have a wish?" He was only a foot or two away from Sasuke now.

Sasuke felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end. He shook his head slightly. He was sure.

Wasn't he?

Kakashi was now only half a foot away from him, deep into his personal space. Sasuke felt his defenses rise.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, lifting Sasuke's chin with his forefinger. "Think deeply about this, Sasuke."

As if he was being controlled, Sasuke responded: "I wish to change this town... I want it to be different, more interesting."

"This town? Or do you mean your life?" Kakashi questioned further.

"My life." Sasuke answered, almost automatically.

Kakashi smiled and turned his eyes to the entrance. Time seemed to return to its normal pace and everything felt lighter. Sasuke blinked and found he could finally look away from Kakashi's gaze. What the hell just happened?

"Would you take him to his room?" Kakashi asked. "It's the one near—"

"YesI know..." interrupted a voice from the door. Sasuke whirled around. A boy about his age and height was standing there. Everything about the boy was eerie, from his dark, flaming red hair and expressionless face to his black, skull-chained boots (which had dark specks of red on it—blood?).

He dragged his eyes away from the boy to look at Kakashi; he had just remembered something Kakashi had said earlier.

"Wait. When you said 'his room', who were you referring to?" he asked, sharply.

Kakashi raised a brow. "Why you, of course," he said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You need to know where your new room is at."

"What?!" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in shock. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

Kakashi sighed. "In order to fulfill your wish, you must stay here. How long you stay will depend on how long it takes for you to realize."

"Realize what?"

"That's exactly what I'm taking about." Kakashi turned to the boy. "Gaara, please take Sasuke to his room."

"Hold on!" Sasuke protested, angrily. "My parents—"

"Your parents are out of town for the time being. Therefore it will not be a problem," Kakashi stated firmly. "Gaara, if you will."

Sasuke clenched his teeth. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Getting off telling him what to do! "I'm not staying here," he said tightly. "My parents expect me to be at home. _I_ don't want to stay here."

Kakashi stared at him thoughtfully, his eyes strangely intent. "Sasuke, your parents do not notice you at all, do they? Your family had some trouble years ago. You have another wish. One deep in here." Kakashi placed a finger at Sasuke's heart and a cold shiver ran up his spine. _How did he know?_ "I can grant that wish also. But you must stay here, Sasuke, in order for me to help you fulfill it."

Sasuke stood there in shock. He knew exactly what Kakashi was referring to. But _how did he know_? It was never spoken about in his family. His parents, indeed, did, for the most part, ignore him. After his brother Itachi's disappearance four years ago, his parents withdrew into themselves. They buried themselves in work to help them forget the pain of losing their pride and joy, the Uchiha's eldest son, leaving Sasuke to be forever in his shadow. So how did Kakashi know he wanted to find his brother?

"How did you know?" Sasuke asked quietly. He glared at Kakashi, his normally black eyes blazing red. "How could you possibly help me? How can staying here help me find him?"

"There are many things I know, young Uchiha. Likewise, there are many things I don't. But then again, I know more than most."

Sasuke opened his mouth to reply, but before he could get the words out, a loud voice spoke. "Oi, what's going on? Gaara, what's taking you so long?"

Sasuke looked to the door and saw that Naruto and another boy had joined the waiting Gaara.

Kakashi smiled. "Hey, Naruto, still mad at me?"

Naruto glowered at him. "Shutup! Don't talk to me!" He turned and looked up at Gaara, questioningly. "What took you so long?"

Gaara looked down at Naruto and Sasuke saw those cold, green eyes soften slightly. "Hatake-_sama_"—"Eww, Gaara, don't boost his ego by calling him 'Hatake-_sama_'!" Naruto crinkled his nose, whining.—"Hatake-_san_ wanted me to show Uchiha where his room was, but there seems to be a problem between the two." he murmured.

Naruto huffed through his nose. "With Kakashi, there's always a problem..." he muttered, almost inaudibly.

Kakashi grimaced. "I resent that."

Naruto pursed his lips, his eyes flickering to Kakashi before returning to Gaara.

The boy next to Naruto spoke up—though that was ironic because his voice was nearly as quiet as Gaara's. "So that kid is going to be living with us? That's why Kakashi wanted us to prepare an extra room."

"Kakashi never does anything for himself, that lazy bastard," Sasuke heard Naruto mutter. Sasuke's lips twitched. Strangely, Naruto's complaints about Kakashi seemed quite amusing. Normally, Sasuke found nothing amusing. He hated nearly everything and liked very little.

Naruto pouted. "Well, what's taking so long? Hey, Uchiwa-_kun_, don't you want to stay here with us?"

Deep blue eyes looked earnestly up at Sasuke and he found himself grudgingly give way. "Fine. I'll stay..."

Naruto beamed and cheered. "Yay! We have another friend joining us!" He bounced up to Sasuke and grabbed his arm, dragging him out the doors. "C'mon, Uchiwa-_kun_, your room is right next to mine."

Sasuke heard Gaara and the older boy walking behind them.

"You'll like it here, Uchiwa-_kun_. Everyone here is nice." He paused. "Well, relatively."

'Everyone'? Was there **more **of them? Naruto was already enough for him. Sasuke might tolerate, even like Naruto, but he didn't think he could stand any more. He was a recluse by nature and generally avoided too much company if he could help it. "Are there anymore of you?" Sasuke asked, tiredly.

"Of me?" Naruto asked, laughing, "Yeah, sometimes there are more of me."

Gaara and the older boy snorted. "More than enough," murmured the older boy.

Naruto laughed and turned his head to blow a raspberry at the two boys. "Shut up, Neji, you know you love me. You too, Gaara."

"Yeah, but you're such a handful, 'Tsune."

Naruto just grinned. "Ya, I guess. Anyway," he said turning back to Sasuke, "to answer your question, for the time being, no, we're the only ones living here right now."

Sasuke raised a brow. "'For the time being'?"

"More friends!" Naruto answered, cheerfully. They turned a corner and continued walking.

"Your room is just down this hall. If you ever need to find it, you will sooner or later." Naruto said. "It's the last room on the left side, next to the room labeled ''Tsune's Room'—which is my room." Naruto scrunched up his nose, as if thinking hard. "Is that all? Yeah, I think so..."

"Naruto..." Neji reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember." Naruto released Sasuke's hand. He clenched his fist, his hand already missing Naruto's warmth. Naruto turned to him. "Hey, Uchiwa-_kun_, I have to go now." Naruto moved to stand next to Neji and Gaara, who were looking at Sasuke indifferently. "But I'll see you later, alright?"

Sasuke nodded once to show that he understood and Naruto flashed him a bright smile.

"Okay! See ya later!"

As Naruto, Neji, and Gaara left, Sasuke wondered what in the world was happening to him. First, he gets pulled into some weird store that "fulfils wishes." Then he meets these weird people, who knew far more than they should. One who, by the looks of it, was the owner and the laziest person alive. One who was very loud and noticeable—and extremely warm. And the other two, well, they were very similar in their attitudes and facial expressions to him. And that fact alone was strange as it was. And now, he was forced to live here? Why in the world did he agree to do so in the first place? He knew it had something to do with Naruto, but all the younger boy did was look at him. He couldn't have affected him that much, could he?

What the hell was happening to his life?

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**_Translations_**:

–_**kun**_: an honorific one would attach to a male friend or associate's name. **_Uchiwa_**: "round fan", which is the symbol on the back of Sasuke's jacket.–**_sama_**: an honorific one attaches to someone who is respected; in a way, it could mean "lord" or "lady". –**_san_**: an honorific one attaches to a stranger or to someone in need of respecting; in a way, it could mean "Mr.", "Ms." or "Mrs."


	2. About This and That

_Tomi's Ramblings: Good job to those who recognized what _manga_ this fanfiction is based on. For those who do not know, this fanfiction is partially based on **xxxHOLIC**. Tootles! _

_Disclaimer: Naruto and Co. belong to their respective parties, not limited to Kishimoto Masashi, and Shueisha Inc. xxxHOLIC and Co. belong to their respective parties, not limited to CLAMP, Kodansha, Ltd., and Del Rey Books. _

_Warnings: **Slash. AU. OOC on Naruto's part. Naruto with an actual happier childhood**._

_**IMPORTANT NOTES: **I'm not sure, but I think this would count as a **crossover**. Though mind you, it's not REALLY a crossover. There are just vague mentions (key words; the characters won't actually appear. It's up to you to figure out who they are.) of characters from other _anime/manga_. However, in another way, it does count as a crossover. You'll see._

_PS: Naruto may seem slightly (very) out of character, but there's a reason for that. Please note that his past is a bit (a bit? I'm making excuses.) more joyful than in the **cannon**. _

_PPS: I took French. French is one of those languages that have a masculine and feminine form of nearly everything. If you noticed, I sometimes refer to Naruto as "the blond boy." Some of you (most of you) might think the word "blond" is missing an "-e". It's not. In French, "blond" refers to a boy, and "blonde" refers to a girl. Look up "blonde" in the English dictionary and you will see something like this: **a blond female**. I see things like this a lot. Like with protégé. "Protégé" refers to a male whilst "protégée" refers to a female. I see writers (some of them are VERY talented writers too!) use the word "protégée" (just because it has an extra "-e" and it looks nicer or whatever) to refer to a male. What is up with that? I just cringe when I see that. It's like my pet peeve. I'm not claiming I don't make mistakes, too, but please, people, stop it. _

_Rating for the Chapter: PG-13_

_Dedication: To **Pale Rider** and **Hana J**. And **Teki Star** for her ideas and help. Did I forget anyone? _

_This chapter is **unbeta'ed**. For now. Beta'ed version will be up in a few days. Weeks. Does anyone care?___

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Sleepless Beauty

By Tomomi

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Part II: About This and That

Sunshine peeked into the room from the gaps of the curtains. Sasuke blinked blearily. He sighed and slowly brought his hand up to cover his eyes, hiding them from the bright summer morning light.

He lay there for a moment, listening to the birds chirp, enjoying the stillness brought on by a quiet morning. He was used to quiet mornings; his home was empty of a lot of things, noise being one of them. This silence, however, was different from the ones he had experienced so often before. It was without emptiness and more for comfort, not at all unwelcome.

Sasuke waited a moment more, gathering the will power to get up and out of bed, before rising—only to be pounced on. Sasuke fell back onto the bed, a warm, heavy weight clinging to him. He gasped sharply through his teeth, closing his eyes tightly before opening them and staring up into bright eyes.

"Good Morning!" chirped Naruto in greeting. "Rise and shine, Uchiwa-_kun_!"

Sasuke stared at the blond boy (_How could anyone be so disgustingly cheerful so early in the morning?_), then groaned and turned his head into the mattress. "Uzumaki..."

"What?" Naruto cocked his head to the side.

"Get. Off. Me."

Naruto blinked and looked down at the spot where he sat at. He was sitting right in Sasuke's lap. Blue eyes widened; whisker-marred cheeks flushed. "Oops." He giggled nervously, and scrambled off him. "Sorry!"

Sasuke sat up with a sigh and stared impassively at Naruto. "Uzumaki, what do you want?"

Naruto blinked again, as if suddenly remembering why he was in Sasuke's new room at—Sasuke checked the clock beside his bed—7:15 in the morning. Naruto did _not_ seem like a morning person at all. "Umm, Neji woke me up and told me to wake _you_ up for breakfast."

_Neji_...

"You mean the tall guy with the weird eyes?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Naruto, defending Neji. "Neji's eyes aren't weird! They're just special."

Sasuke gave him a pointed look and crossed his arms. "They're weird."

"No, they're not! They're special! They do really cool things!" Naruto insisted. When Sasuke still didn't change his expression, Naruto pouted. "Uchiwa-_kun_..." he whined.

Similar to the last time those blue eyes had looked imploringly upon him, Sasuke gave up. "Fine." he grunted. "Whatever you say." (He still thought those milky eyes were freaky although he wouldn't say it.)

Naruto grinned triumphantly and cheered. He, then, grabbed Sasuke's arm and proceeded to drag him out the door. Sasuke allowed himself to be dragged. He figured it wasn't worth it to put up resistance against the bond boy. He didn't need to change; he had slept in the clothes he wore yesterday. There weren't any clothes in the drawers of his bedroom.

Only once they walked out the bedroom door did he realize that he had forgotten to ask Naruto a question that had lurked around in his mind since the previous night. He stopped, causing Naruto to stop too.

"Uchiwa-_kun_?" he questioned.

"Uzumaki, that mirror in my room... Why is it covered?"

The mirror he was referring to was the only uncommon item in his room. It stood on the side wall opposite his bed and was covered by a large white sheet. Sasuke had noticed it immediately. It seemed average enough, but Sasuke's instincts told him differently. There was something weird about that mirror.

"Mirror?" Naruto asked thoughtfully. "You mean the whachamacallit mirror? Oh, Kakashi told me it's covered because it is too alluring for the average person or something like that." Naruto scratched his nose. "Um, if you want to see for yourself, go ahead. There's no rule against it."

'_Too alluring'? _How could a mirror be too alluring? It made Sasuke wonder what exactly one saw in the mirror. Sasuke decided that he would indeed have a look for himself later.

"Anyway, I'm going to take you to the bathroom so you can get washed up, and then we're going to eat breakfast with Neji and Gaara, and then we're going to your house so you can get your clothes an' stuff to bring here, and then we'll eat lunch, and then you have to go talk to Kakashi 'cuz he said so—something about your wish—, and then—"

_Much later_, he added. It looked as if he was going to be busy today.

-----

Breakfast was a chaotic affair.

It started out peaceful enough; the four of them sitting at a small rectangular table, an appetizing meal made, surprisingly, by Neji before them.

Things took a turn for the worst when Naruto refused to eat the dish of vegetables Neji had provided for him ("Who invented vegetables anyway?" Naruto had complained, his arms crossed childishly.). It was the first time ever Sasuke had seen a _boy _throw a temper tantrum. Unfortunately for the blond boy, Neji was quite adamant about Naruto eating his vegetables and had refused to be moved, telling him to stuff it, both literally and figuratively. Thus Naruto moved his pleading blue eyes onto the freaky boy, Gaara, who, Sasuke assumed had experienced it enough times to become immune to it, told him not to be difficult.

Desperate, Naruto had turned to Sasuke for support. Sasuke had concentrated hard on eating and lamely said: "Vegetables are good for you."

That seemed to be the last straw. Naruto had stood up, banging his hands on the table. He graciously labeled Neji a "jerk", Gaara a "butthead", and Sasuke a "traitor", childishly kick his chair over, and stomped out of the room. This proved to be an everyday occurrence as Neji and Gaara did not react at all; they simply continued eating as if nothing had happened.

It wasn't until breakfast was over and he was wondering back to his room (not that he really knew the way) did Sasuke remember Naruto and he were to go pick up his stuff together. It was just like the blond to run off and forget about the plans. He considered going by himself, but had to cancel that option out due to the fact that he didn't know the way out of this maze. He groaned mentally. It was decided; he would have to go find Naruto.

-----

Several hours later found Sasuke wandering around in the halls. This place really was huge! Sasuke had a nagging suspicion that it wasn't just from the maze-like structure.

Everything about Hitsuzen was extremely elegant and grand, though somewhat bizarre. Sasuke's room was also elegant, but in a very comfortable way. Located in his room was an adequately sized European-style four poster bed, with two huge drawers to match. There was a table—which Sasuke assumed was for writing and such—and a plush chair. And the mirror...

_How can a mirror be too alluring?_

That question joined the other million questions he had running through his mind, questions he wanted answers to—answers he wasn't sure he could handle.

Another issue Sasuke couldn't handle was being lost, and he was most surely and definitely lost. He glanced around at his surroundings. They were all the same; there was nothing to distinguish this hall from the other halls he had been in. There was no way of telling if he had been walking in circles or not. He didn't want to go to his room, but he didn't exactly have a destination in mind either.

He turned a corner; it seemed as if he was always turning corners. He sighed. This hall was exactly like the other halls before it. Sasuke turned another corner and promptly tripped over someone's foot. He used his arms to reduce the impact and break his fall, then tucked and rolled to end in a crouched position.

Naruto's mouth dropped from where he was sitting on the ground. He dropped his pocky sticks and rushed to Sasuke's side. "Uchiwa-_kun_! Are you okay?"

Sasuke sighed, staying in his crouched position. He looked up at Naruto, raising an eyebrow, and said, "Uzumaki, what the hell were you doing, just sitting there on the ground in the hallway like that?"

"Eating pocky?" Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching his head. He squeaked, remembering the pocky he dropped, and plopped onto the ground to pick them up.

Sasuke stared. Then he gave up in trying to understand Naruto altogether and settled himself in a sitting position, Indian-style. He watched as Naruto picked up his pocky sticks one by one, blowing on each carefully before placing them in their box.

_He treats each one like a long lost friend_, Sasuke observed. Another thought popped into his head. "Uzumaki."

"Ya?"

"Why do you live with Hatake?" he asked.

Naruto was silent for a moment, glaring balefully at nothing in particular. "Because, for now, he's my guardian. My Dad is away on a business trip. We can't seem to get in touch with my Godmother. She's probably off somewhere gambling, and my Godfather is on a trip to 'gather inspiration' for his next book."

_So that's it_, thought Sasuke. "What about those two guys: Gaara and Neji? Why do they live with you?"

Naruto brightened. "That's easy. They just are. Gaara's here because he's here. Neji, too. But if you want more specific answers, you have to ask them yourself 'cause I don't really know." His smile widened. "Even so, I'm glad they're here with me. They're really good friends. What about you, Uchiwa-_kun_? Do you have any close friends?"

Sasuke started to shake his head, but remembered that he did have one person who could be considered a close friend. "Hn. Sakura."

"Sakura, eh? Alright!" Naruto took on a fierce look of determination. "Let's invite her over sometime!"

This time Sasuke started to nod,—easily agreeing with Naruto—but did not due to the fact that Sakura did not know he was living here for the time being. He tensed. _Damnit!_ Sakura always visited him in the mornings; being the type of girl she was, she feared the detachment he had with his parents might affect him in "negative" ways. If she found him missing from his house, she would probably call up a search party to look for him. That would be trouble. Sasuke hated causing unnecessary trouble. It was... unnecessary.

Naruto leaned over and poked him in the cheek. He smiled softly. "Lemme guess, you wanna go find her and tell her you're living here now, right?" He got up on his feet and offered a hand to Sasuke. "Don't worry. We can find her on our way to your place."

For the fourth time in his life, he took Naruto's hand. Naruto tugged experimentally on his arm, before realizing he wasn't strong enough to lift him with one hand. "Man... Uchiwa-_kun_, you're heavy..." He used both hands to tug Sasuke up.

"I'm only heavy because you're short," he retorted. For some reason, Sasuke felt like smiling. It was strange; it had been so long since he last felt like smiling. Stranger yet, someone he had known for not even two days made him feel that way.

"Short? Short?! I am _not_ short!" Naruto puffed out his cheeks and raised his fist into the air, outraged. "How am I short?"

Sasuke couldn't help it—he reached out and smacked Naruto over the head. "_Dobe_, what kind of question is that?"

The younger boy howled and held his head though Sasuke was positive he wasn't in any real pain, and, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, his lips twitched as he tried to restrain his smile.

-----

"Uzumaki, would you stay still?!" Sasuke grabbed said boy by the scruff of the neck and dragged him back into place beside him. He whacked Naruto over the head. "Stop running off!"

Naruto howled in pain. He clutched the back of his head and sniffed. "Hey! Why do you keep doing that?!"

Sasuke made sure to keep an arm latched on Naruto so that the other boy would not escape his sight again. He could feel his head starting to pound and knew if this kept up, he would have a migraine to last the week.

He whacked Naruto again for good measure. "Because," he glared, "pain seems to be the only thing you respond to."

Naruto gave him a huge frown and protested against the claim, stating, "That's not the _only_ thing I respond to! I respond to hunger, too." He nodded, beaming, and gave his stomach an affectionate pat. It grumbled. "I'm hungry, Uchiwa-_kun_. Can we please eat?"

"No."

"Why not?!" he demanded. He made a face and then smiled. "Can we have ramen?"

Sasuke heaved a sigh. "Uzumaki, are you a complete idiot?"—he ignored Naruto's nod of conformation—"I just said no." He glanced at his surroundings. "Besides, we're almost at my place. It's only a block away."

"Can we get food there?" Damn, Naruto was persistent.

_And stupid_, his mind supplied.

"No."

"What? Why not?! You're cheap!" The blond boy made his point by pointing a finger at Sasuke accusingly. "Cheap! Cheap!"

"I am not—"

"Sasuke-_kun_!" A blur of crimson and pink came barreling at him. At the last moment, the person stopped, just barely avoiding collision. Though Haruno Sakura glared up at him, he could see the worry in her eyes. "Sasuke-_kun_, where have you been?!" she demanded, beginning her rant. "I've been looking all _over_ for you! Do you know how worried I've been? Coming to your house and finding you _gone_! Just gone!" She poked him in the chest. Hard. "See? And you probably didn't even think of me at all! How could you?"

This was the present Sakura. She wasn't always like this, he reflected. When they were in their preteens, she had had a humungous crush on him and she wasn't the only one. She was timid in a way and strangely stubborn. She switched classes so they could be together, tried her best to be paired up with him for anything, acted shy when he was near, and vied with the other girls for his affections. She was very insistent and determined to be his girlfriend, or, at least, befriend him. Surprisingly, she succeeded in the latter when she realized what he wanted wasn't an annoying, stalker-like, blushing and giggling idiot for a girlfriend—heck, he didn't want a girlfriend at all. But she still cared enough to continue to befriend him even when he had broken her heart. She was now his only friend and a close one at that. However, that meant she wasn't timid anymore and didn't easily bend to his will as she did before. Who knew girls were so aggressive?

Before he had the chance to apologize, she turned her green eyes onto Naruto. "And who's this?" she asked, hands on her hips. "Were you the one who stole Sasuke-_kun_?" She gave the shorter boy what appeared to be a death-glare, but Sasuke could see light humor in her eyes.

Naruto 'eep-ed' and jumped behind Sasuke, intending to use him as a human shield if necessary, but the Uchiha stepped over to the side and out of the way. Naruto scowled at him.

"_Dobe_, this is Haruno Sakura." He gestured to the girl, ignoring the look she aimed at him when he called the blond boy '_dobe'_. "Sakura, this is Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "And?"

"I'm staying with him. That's why I wasn't home," he explained in his laconic way.

"What?" She uncrossed her arms and a bemused look. "Sasuke-_kun_, that makes no sense whatsoever."

He knew that, but truth be told, it didn't quite make sense to him yet either.

"I'll explain later. Right now, I need to move my stuff to Uzumaki's house."

The pink-haired girl gave him a look that said, "You had better." Then she offered to help them carry the lighter things and the three walked the remainder of the block to Sasuke's house.

"So Haruno-_chan_, why'd you dye you hair pink? And is you forehead _naturally_ that big?"

There was a solid 'thwap' and a pain-filled cry echoed into the distance.

-----

The way cheerful way Kakashi smiled at him made Sasuke want to punch him. How dare the man smile so optimistically when he had just informed Sasuke he was to be their **maid**? No, that was not the right term. A maid was paid. He would be working to pay off his debt to them for granting his wish. Indentured servant was the better term.

"I. Refuse."

"Come, now, Sasuke-_kun_. You get an official uniform and everything," remarked Kakashi, sadistically cheerful.

"No."

He was reading the same book as before. _Icha Icha Paradise _was the title and the book screamed NC-17. Why did it not surprise him to see Hatake reading something like that?

"Sasuke, you want to find that man right?" Sasuke's stiffened. "I can guarantee that you will see him soon if you stay here with us. And since we are provided you free rooming and such, is it not expected that you compensate us for our services?"

_Free?_ If it were free, why did he need to compensate for anything?

"That's bullshit," he stated bluntly.

Kakashi nodded, easily agreeing with him: "Indeed, it is." He turned a page of his book. "So I take it I have your consent on all this?"

Sasuke glared, and Kakashi threw his head back and laughed.

-----

Sasuke trudge back into his room. He was unbelievably tired from the day's events. After the talk, Naruto had dragged him off for a midday snack before giving him a full tour of the shop. He did not even bother to memorize the directions. It was simply impossible. After the long tour, they had dinner, a simple meal of rice, vegetables, and miso soup made by Gaara (It seemed they traded chores weekly.). There was another ruckus as Naruto, once again, refused to eat his veggies. He abandoned Sasuke, who, as a result, was stuck wandering the hallways for an hour and a half or so before finding his room. He resolved to never let Naruto out of his sight if he could help it. The younger boy was damn useful and not only as a guide either. He easily offered Sasuke information on anything and everything if he asked and was always willing to help.

During his talk with Kakashi, Naruto had volunteered to put his things away. Sasuke preferred to do it himself, but Naruto had been extremely adamant about helping and he ended up giving way. The smaller boy had done a surprisingly good job. His clothes were neatly folded and stored in an organized manner that made it easy for him to locate anything he needed.

_It doesn't show at all_, he thought wryly. _He seems like such a sloppy person. _

As Sasuke changed into his night clothes, he let his eyes roam over his new room. They stopped at the covered mirror. He tugged his shirt down over his head and stepped closer to the mirror.

"... _too alluring for the average person..."_

He slowly reached out and grasped the fine silky material that acted as the cover and pulled. The cloth floated gently to the ground.

Sasuke stumbled back, starring at the mirror in shock. It wasn't his reflection he was seeing; it was—

"Itachi!"

* * *

_**Translations**:_

–**_kun_**: an honorific one would attach to a male friend or associate's name; used also by older men for young lady friends or associates. **_Uchiwa_**: "round fan", which is the symbol on the back of Sasuke's jacket. **_Dobe_**: equivalent to dead-last; Sasuke's nickname for Naruto. –**_chan_**: an honorific attached to a female friend or a close younger male friend; also commonly used for children

_**Much thanks to:**_

_kiowen,** Iceheart19**(Thank you! Sorry this is so late. Yes, the title is from a GRAVI song. LOL, Petshop of Horrors? That's unexpected.), SukiAme, ElizabethMarieRose, Deloeke, purrfectly679, Mister Pineapple, Gina-uzumaki, Kyuubi-kun, Mariemaia1, ghostninja85, **Teki Star**(huggles Love you!), Shibarania, asa-chan, anime-hyena, Watermelon Gal, **Yuen-chan**(Yes, it is. I hope you continue to read.), ssjmiraitrks, kisaru, eyes0nme19, **Pale Rider**(Thank you!), Shikashinigami, TasukiNoBaka, **eden**(I'm not really sure about NejiSasu or GaaraSasu. It's definitely something to think about. There's a possibility of NejiSasu though—er, hints, that is.), siobhn01, (lol, the Uchiha sign is most _definitely_ a round fan.), KhaosFlamez, and Prodigy-X3-Bombay. If I forgot you, please forgive me. _

_YEAH!!! I wanted to update by Naruto's b-day since I've been so very busy! I hate school. I hate physics (Not that it's hard... but I hate the Teach). I hate driving. Carrots and cheese, I don't want to drive!! I'd rather walk any day. Driving is sooo unhealthy! And y'know what? I'm seriously beginning to hate Sasuke. Who knew he could be so... petty and spiteful (I'm referring to the Sasuke in the _anime_ and _manga_, of course)? Holy chicken wings. _

_Ah... I **hate** this chapter, too. It's so... blah. I'm gone for months and this is what I come up with? Eh... Please note that this is a transition chapter to help Sasuke settle in and get some things out of the way. I've decided to rewrite this whole chapter once I have time. My ten chapter test is this Friday, but, after that, I think I'll have time this weekend. _

_Anyway, **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NARUTO!!!!** _


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